Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
No fewer than 102, 560 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
were registered by the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) between January and March this year, its Executive Secretary, Malam Haruna Hamman, has said.
Hamman said last Thursday in Yola that most of those registered were victims of various insurgents attacks and other conflicts within and outside the state.
The scribe explained that the displaced persons were spread across the 21 local government areas of the state with Madagali local government, which is on the border with Borno, leading with 31,666 IDPs.
He commended the state and local governments for their support to those displaced by the conflicts, and called for more assistance to them and the communities hosting them.
Benue
Assistant Parish Priest, Saint Theresa’s Catholic Parish,
Makurdi, Reverend Fr. Isaac Shityo, yesterday advised Nigerians to seek God’s intervention for the rescue of the Chibok girls.
Shityo, who said this at a sermon yesterday in Makurdi, lamented over the situation where people were insulting and criticising security agents following the delay in rescuing the abducted girls.
“Boko Haram is not the only body committing crime in our society today. Here in Makurdi, we see and hear all kinds of crime perpetrated by our children. Are they too insurgents? “As Christians, we need to go to any length to bring up our children in the best ways possible,” he said.
Shityo said that God and the country’s forefathers who paid supreme prices for the unity of Nigeria would not forgive the present generation if they destroyed the legacy left.
Borno
The Borno State Government yesterday donated N10
million to victims of last week’s suspected Boko Haram attack in Limankara village in Gwoza Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Kashim Shettima, represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Investment, Dr Asabe Vilita, said he was deeply touched by the incident.
Receiving the donation, the District Head of the community, Mr Baba Lawan, thanked the government for the gesture, and pledged to be fair in the distribution of the money.
Lawan said that about 80 per cent of the houses in the community were burnt by the insurgents in addition to some places of worship.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State Government says it has approved the
release of N718.8 million to the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the newly established State University in Kafin-Hausa.
The State Commissioner for Information, Youths and Sports, Alhaji Babandi Ibrahim, explained that N604.3 million was approved as a counterpart fund for SUBEB.
According to him, the Federal Government will also contribute to the fund to execute projects in primary and junior secondary schools across the state.
He said N114.5 million was approved for the newly established State University, Kafin-Hausa.
The commissioner said the fund was approved during the State Executive Council meeting held last Wednesday.
Ibrahim said the government was committed to providing quality education in the state.
Kaduna
Governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State last Thursday
directed the Ministries of Works, Land and Education to intervene in resolving the recent crisis in Kachia following a trespass on a Muslims’ prayer ground.
Yero gave the directive during a visit to the town after the crisis which led to loss of lives and property on Sunday.
The crisis erupted when part of the fence surrounding the Muslim prayer ground was allegedly pulled down by a Christian group, claiming that the fence had blocked access to their community.
Yero, in a statement signed by his Media aide, Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki, directed the ministries to work together in resolving the issue.
The governor also called on people in the area to educate and prevent their children from engaging in violent acts and other social vices.
Katsina
A Sociology lecturer at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua
University, Katsina, Dr Kwaghmande Joseph, has said that Nigeria must tackle corruption in order to improve its image in the international community.
Joseph said this yesterday in a paper entitled: “The Challenges of Corruption on Ethical Practices and Values of Nigeria in the 21st Century.”
He presented the paper at an interactive summit on anti-corruption, ethics and values organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values in collaboration with an NGO, Global Network, Monitoring and Development Initiative.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the NGO, Mr Muhammad Haruna, said the summit was organised for local government chairmen, vice chairmen and secretaries of councils in the state.
The Chairman of Faskari Local Government Council, Alhaji Isyaku Ahmad, averred that local councils should not be viewed as the most corrupt institution in the country.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government says it will spend N4
billion on the provision and improvement of infrastructure and social amenities, including water, electricity and roads in different parts of the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Sani Kanya, who disclosed this to journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, said that out of the amount, about N1.2 billion would be spent on digitisation of equipment at the state-owned radio and television stations.
Kanya said a committee had been set up to ensure the installation of the digital equipment in the two stations by January 2015.
The commissioner said that the installation of the digital equipment was in line with the 2008 Geneva global rules for the replacement of analogue equipment in media organisations.
Kwara
Kwara State Government said it would spend N7.2 billion
on the Ilorin metropolis water reticulation project.
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Investment, Promotion and Strategy, Mr Yomi Ogunsola, said this at a news conference in Ilorin.
Ogunsola said the state government had spent more than N5.2 billion on the project, bringing it to about 98 per cent completion stage.
He said N2 billion would be used from the proposed N23 billion bond to complete the water project.
Ogunsola said the bond would also be spent on the renovation of 120 schools and the indoor Sports Hall of the State Stadium Complex in Ilorin.
Lagos
The members of the Nigerian Association of Women
Journalists (NAWOJ) have elected, Mrs Ifeyinwa Omowole of the News Agency of Nigeria as its new president.
Omowole, polled 469 votes to defeat her opponent, Mrs Fatima Abdulkareem, who scored 198 votes in the 2014 NAWOJ elections in Badagry, Lagos.
In her acceptance speech yesterday, Omowole pledged to give NAWOJ a responsive leadership that would encourage capacity building of its members to enhance their profession.
She assured that her tenure would wear a human face, adding that the new executive would initiate a website for the association for global interactions.
Earlier, Malam Mohammad Garba, National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), advised the new officers to embark on capacity building of their colleagues to be able to match the times.
Osun
Authorities of Osun State Polytechnic, (OSPOLY), Iree,
have directed the staff of the institution to resume administrative and academic activities today, Monday.
The Registrar, Mr Busari Salawu, who gave the directive last Thursday in Osogbo, said, “all members of staff are enjoined to resume at their respective duty posts on Monday, May 19.
“Students who are on mid-semester break are to resume for academic duties on the afore-mentioned date,” the statement added. It will be recalled that members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have been on strike in the last 10 months.
The union is demanding increased welfare packages as well as improved funding of polytechnic education in the country.
Zamfara
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),
said it had arrested a Principal, Mr Mahmud Gaya, for alleged illegal registration of 99 ‘students’ for WAEC, NECO and JSCE examinations.
The Public Relations Officer of Gusau Command of NSCDC, Mr Aminu Ismail, said on Thursday that Gaya is the principal of Alheri Group of Schools, Gusau, and that the matter was reported to the command by the school’s proprietress, Mrs Chioma Ugorji.
Ismail said Gaya registered 27 and 36 candidates for WAEC and NECO examinations respectively, while each of the students paid N16, 650.
When questioned, the principal admitted doing so, saying it was a mistake.
He said he assumed the position of school principal since December 2008 and had never been found wanting. “I am married and have three children.”
The NSCDC said the suspect would soon appear in court.
L-R: NUJ National President, Mr Garba Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Representative of President of Nigeria, Alhaji Garba Kakarfi and former NAWOJ National President, Mrs Asabe Baba-nahaja, at the opening of NAWOJ national delegates conference in Badagry, Lagos, last Saturday.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has announced that the mangrove wetlands in Ogoniland have been officially designated a Ramsar Site of International Importance by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
The designation, according to HYPREP, underscores the global ecological significance of Ogoniland’s mangrove wetlands and highlights ongoing restoration efforts aimed at addressing environmental degradation in the area.
In a press statement issued by the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, the recognition was described as a major milestone for the agency, the people of Ogoni and other stakeholders working towards environmental restoration in the region.
Zabbey explained that the mangrove wetlands, which cover more than 31,700 hectares, consist of islands, tidal creeks, mudflats and mangrove forests that support a wide range of biodiversity. The ecosystem provides habitat for several species including fin fish, shellfish, crustaceans, crocodiles, turtles and the endangered grey parrot.
He noted that beyond biodiversity conservation, the wetland also provides essential ecosystem services such as fisheries production, flood control, water purification and carbon storage. According to him, the international recognition will further support local livelihoods, promote ecotourism and bring global attention to the region.
The HYPREP coordinator disclosed that the designation followed a meticulous process that began in 2024 when the project submitted a memorandum to the National Council on Environment seeking support for the recognition of the Ogoni wetlands as a Ramsar site.
Following the council’s review and approval, the Honourable Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, formally wrote to the Ramsar Convention Secretariat requesting international recognition of the wetlands.
After a comprehensive ecological assessment, the Ramsar Secretariat granted the designation, officially recognising the Ogoniland wetlands as one of the world’s sites of international importance.
Zabbey said the recognition would strengthen ongoing environmental restoration efforts in the area and encourage stronger conservation measures and sustainable management of the wetlands for the benefit of present and future generations.
He added that the designation also fulfils a key recommendation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, marking another significant step in the implementation of the report’s recommendations.
The HYPREP project coordinator reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to restoring the Ogoni environment through the remediation of oil-polluted land, shorelines and mangrove ecosystems.
He also called for collective responsibility and stakeholder support to sustain the progress of the Ogoni cleanup programme and facilitate the development of a comprehensive and sustainable management plan for the Ogoni mangrove wetlands.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Mrs Lauretta Davies-Dimkpa, has attributed the successes of the 12-day programme organised for adolescent girls aimed at eliminating Female Genital Mutilation(FGM) in some parts of the State to the ability of the respective stakeholders to take ownership of the programme.
Mrs Davies-Dimkpa, who dropped the hint in an interview at the end of the programme in Elele-Alimini Community in Emohua Local Government Area on Saturday, said the event had a buy-in component, an ownership mentality, whereby facilitators, staff, and everyone involved took ownership of the project.
She explained that the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had packaged a series of training sessions for adolescent girls aimed at ending the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in some communities across the State.
According to her, the initiative was designed to educate young girls on the harmful effects of the practice and empower them to become advocates against it within their communities.
She noted that the programme, which lasted for several weeks, targeted adolescent girls from different local government areas where the practice is still prevalent, stressing that
data collected by UNICEF and the Ministry revealed that Female Genital Mutilation is still practised in some parts of the State, prompting the need for intensified sensitisation and community engagement.
Mrs Davies-Dimkpa explained that the programme adopted a “train-the-trainer” approach where adolescent girls were educated on the dangers of the practice and encouraged to share the knowledge with their peers, families and communities.
“This is a programme by the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation with support from UNICEF and UNFPA to train adolescent girls towards ending Female Genital Mutilation, which is still practised in some local government areas,” she said.
She further explained that each participating local government area had a three-day training session, with the exercise running for a total of 12 days.
The local government areas, where the programme took place, she noted, included Ahoada West, Abua-Odual, and Emohua, adding that the initiative is part of broader efforts by the state government and development partners to eliminate harmful traditional practices and protect the rights and wellbeing of girls.
She revealed that prior to the training of the adolescent girls, the Ministry and its partners had also engaged community facilitators, including older women and men, to sensitise them on the dangers associated with Female Genital Mutilation.
According to her, the involvement of community leaders and adults is essential in addressing the cultural and social factors that sustain the practice.
Speaking on the response of the participants, the permanent secretary expressed satisfaction with the level of engagement and enthusiasm shown by the girls throughout the training sessions.
She noted that many of the participants said they were learning about the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation for the first time.
“The girls are between the ages of 12 and 17 and from the interactions we had with them, they were very excited. Some of them are hearing these things for the first time and never knew that the practice is harmful,” she said.
She expressed optimism that the knowledge gained from the training would enable the girls to serve as advocates for change within their communities.
She added that the Rivers State Government, alongside its partners, would continue to intensify efforts and expand community-based interventions aimed at ending the practice across the State.
Meanwhile, the participants for Emohua Local Government Area were drawn from Elele-Alimini, Egbeda, Rumuji, Ibaa, Rumuekpe, Rumuakunde, Eligbarada, and Ogbakiri Communities.
The participants,who spoke in separate interviews described the training as eye-opening, noting that it helped them better understand issues surrounding adolescent health, personal hygiene, reproductive health, and the harmful consequences of Female Genital Mutilation.
Favour Azukwu from Rumuekpe community, said the programme provided a deeper understanding of the dangers associated with the practice, particularly its impact on the health and wellbeing of girls and women.
She explained that the training sessions exposed participants to the medical, social and psychological effects of Female Genital Mutilation, including severe bleeding, infections and complications during childbirth.
She revealed that she personally experienced the practice at the age of 12 and suffered heavy bleeding afterwards, an experience that has strengthened her determination to advocate for its eradication.
According to her, many communities still practise Female Genital Mutilation because it is perceived as a cultural tradition, despite the dangers associated with it.
“I do not support Female Genital Mutilation because there are many dangers involved. I experienced severe bleeding when it was done to me as a child.
Another participant, Glory Ken, a 16-year-old secondary school student from Rumuji community, said the programme broadened her understanding of several important topics affecting adolescents.
She explained that beyond the discussion on Female Genital Mutilation, the training also focused on issues such as personal hygiene, reproductive health, peer education, and self-care.
According to her, the sessions helped participants understand the importance of making informed health decisions and supporting one another as peer educators.
“I learned about many things that affect young people in society and how to take care of myself. I also learned that Female Genital Mutilation is harmful to our health. The message I am taking back to my community is that this practice should stop,” she said.
Also speaking, Goodness Kenjika Nyeche described the programme as very impactful.
She noted that the training equipped participants with the skills and confidence to educate others about the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation.
She said she plans to organise sensitisation among adolescents in her community, particularly girls between the ages of 10 and 19, to ensure they understand the dangers associated with the practice.
“I learned many things from this programme and I feel very good about it. I will educate other young girls in my community and help them understand why Female Genital Mutilation should not continue,” she said.
For Queen Dike from Ibaa community, the programme helped clarify misconceptions surrounding the practice.
She explained that in some communities, the practice is still referred to as circumcision and is viewed as part of cultural identity.
She said the training helped participants understand that Female Genital Mutilation involves the cutting or removal of parts of the female genital organs and that it has serious health consequences.
She stressed that awareness and education are key to ending the practice, especially among communities that continue to uphold it as tradition.
“I think the programme is very helpful because many people still believe it is part of culture. More awareness is needed so people can understand why it should stop,” she said.
Another participant, MyJoy Echika Amadi, said the programme provided critical information about adolescent health and the dangers associated with Female Genital Mutilation.
She described the initiative as enlightening and said it encouraged young people to become advocates for change in their communities.
According to her, participants were encouraged to use various platforms such as churches, peer groups, schools and community gatherings to spread awareness about the harmful effects of the practice.
“This programme has enlightened us about the dangers of Female Genital Mutilation. I will do my best to create awareness in my community and encourage people to stop the practice,” she said.
Many of the participants emphasised that the knowledge gained during the programme has empowered them to challenge harmful traditions and promote healthier practices among young people.
They also called on the Rivers State Government, development partners and civil society organisations to sustain the sensitisation campaigns and extend the training to more communities across the State.
According to them, empowering young people with the right information will play a critical role in eliminating Female Genital Mutilation and protecting the rights, health and dignity of girls in Rivers State.
The participants expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, UNICEF and UNFPA for organising the programme and for investing in the wellbeing and future of adolescent girls in the State.
